English blends containing the mysterious and smoky tobacco, Latakia, have long been a mainstay among pipe smokers, and nothing is more emblematic of England than John Bull. A true connoisseur’s delight, this supremely cool and smooth mixture uses mild flue-cured tobaccos, mellow and nutty Burley, a touch of black Cavendish for a subtle sweetness and the star of the blend, magnificent Cyprian Latakia. The result is a well-behaved, all-day mixture that is ultra-flavorful but never overbearing. It’s exceedingly rare to find this kind of premier blend in a pouch, but John Bull is anything but ordinary.

If you like lots of latakia flavor in your blend, don't bother because this doesn't have that. This is a very mild blend with some subtleties of each flavor. I don't think I've ever seen a tobacco with several different kinds of tobacco be this mild before. Lightly smokey, lightly nutty and lightly sweet with a little grassy/hay note, it's an unobtrusive all day smoke that burns particularly well, but not hot. Without the latakia, it'd be the most boring smoke in the world. This is for the smoker who wants a little smokey taste as he goes about his daily business, but doesn't want his senses filled up with what he's smoking. It's really nothing special, but for some reason, I found myself ready and willing to enjoy it when I wanted this kind of smoke. It's perhaps the most well balanced light smoke I've ever had.

This is English blends 101. Great for a beginner who wants to try an English blend for the first time. It's as mild as it gets, no bite, burns well, yet still allows one to experience what latakia is with out it blowing your head off. It's really not a bad blend all-in-all and you sure can't beat the price either. It's one of the only OTC blends i will even consider buying anymore. This is good to keep on hand to throw in your pipe from time to time when you want something light for a change. It is very mild so if you are a more experienced smoker you may want a large bowl for this one.

Unlike JimInks, about all I got from this blend was mild Latakia. Nice for an OTC pouch, even straightforward. If you're looking for complexity or a Lat-bomb, don't look here. If you like a mild Latakia, it's worth checking out.

When I purchased 2 pouches of John Bull Royal English from PipesandCigars , it was because it sounded very interesting, and it was recommended by a staff member. I also read the reviews here and thought, what the heck. It was very inexpensive. I did not expect much latakia, and it doesn't have much. What it does have is some very good quality blond Virginia, burley, and black Cavendish. When I opened the pouch I could definitely smell latakia. It has just enough of the smoky leaf to make it's presence felt. The main flavor I tasted was a good nutty burley, and slightly sweet Cavendish tobacco. I packs and burns very well, and it doesn't seem to me to have very much topping if any. I have never smoked any tobacco in pouch, that has this standard of quality leaf. I surely recommend this to anyone who wants a good, inexpensive non biting smoke with a light English flavor.

...I like this in the AM...certainly not very strong but sometimes this is a good thing...A light English blend/mixture, it has the basic components that represent a English mixture. Because it is not complex, I find an "earthy" sweetness that I enjoy with coffee/tea.

Smokes well in almost any pipe and appears to be within my expectations of moistness and easy packing/lighting.

All-in-all, this tobacco meets or exceeds my wishes as a light English...

Very mild english blend. Faint trace of latakia. Not bad for an OTC blend. I usually prefer a stronger smoke than this. I did mix this with C&D 412 Billy Budd in a glass mason jar to pick it up a notch or two.

Just finished up a pouch of John Bull. It was my first shot at an English blend having smoked mostly Virginias and Cavendish. Good stuff. The operative word here is mild. The Latakia takes center stage but in the meekest way possible. The first couple of bowls didn't leave much of an impression at all but once I got toward the end of the pouch subtle nuances of different flavors began making themselves known and I found myself interested in another bowl over the aromatics currently in the lineup. Although I did like this smoke, I probably won't be buying any more John Bull because the requisite Kick of Nick is just shy of acceptable. I will, however, be trying other English blends because of the favorable introduction to the genre.

Really not a fan of Latakia but got this as a trial pouch. For a smoker of burley and Virginias, this was a good introduction into the English genre. It smoked cool and even with a somewhat nutty flavor to go with the smokiness of the Latakia. I'll probably not buy it again but I did enjoy the pouch.

JOHN BULL ROYAL ENGLIEH .Have'nt wanted to smoke anything else since I stuck my nose in the pouch . Moisture content ready to smoke . Cut kind of Cavendish . Packing not a problem . First impression after char reminded me of Dunhill Nightcap . Second impression middle of bowl thought I was smoking Elizabethan . I must say this is one of the best pouch tobacco's I've ever smoked . If your a English tobacco lover don't miss this one . For this endeavor I used an estate Dr. Grabow Sculptura . (Fine pipe if there ever was one ) . Smoked almost half the pouch using the Doctor and my taste buds were rewarded the same way with every bowl . Does it need to be said always use your slow smoking technique for tantalizing results . I'd also like to mention using different pipes smoking the same blend can uncover hidden qualities . So now I tried J.B.R.E. in a ALPHA Burl Briar freehand Israel . To my surprise somewhere at the top a new but familiar old taste presented itself . Have you ever used Balkan Sasieni ? What a treat that John Bull is providing me . There are no words I can use. I know this is not much of a review but it's my way to describe the taste of a tobacco such as J.B.R.E. or any tobacco , is to compare it to other blends . Try it you'll like it ! LAST WORDS : SMOKE SLOW , TRY DIFFERENT PIPES .

Finally ordered a pouch of this from Russ and am glad I did. This is the perfect all day mild English for me. An excellent blendation (Funn Dictionary) of tobaccos, in that no one stands out IMHO. Brings to mind an extremely mild Dunhill 965. Ribbon cut makes in perfect for packing and burning. Tastes fantastic when DGTeed as well. If you are looking for an all day mild English, it doesn't get better than this. This is something you can smoke all day and enjoy. Only drawback is it only comes in a pouch. I'd love to get a pound of this. You will not find a better pouch tobacco at this price. Smoked in a huge calabash shaped meer and a small briar. Those of you who need a breaking in tobacco for an English pipe...this is it. Highly recommended

Great, straight forward English that's not too strong on the palate or the wallet. I could see enjoying this when you need a "smokey" smoke without the punch in the head like Night Cap or similar strong "Lat" blends.

Every time I light up it's not strictly for a "nic" hit or a complex "guess what flavor is next" , more often it's for pure, simple pleasure. This tobacco will offer just that.

If you are fairly new to pipe smoking and want to ease into English blends I couldn't recommend a more pleasant way to start. Experienced pipe smokers I feel, will enjoy the simplicity as well; I did.

I just finished my first bowl and can't really find much fault for what this is. I enjoyed this in my new Parker Apple which I have dedicated to such a blend.

Medium ribbon-cut moist out of the pouch. A Pleasant steady enjoyment into my second pouch. Have wrestled with rating what is a 4 star pouch and this to me is my preference Latakia forward smoke that is an astonishing low cost value.

I'm reviewing this for what it is: A light English. It's not made to be a complex, multi-component blend. I think it was blended to be an everyday English, and that's exactly what it is. I keep a pouch in my backpack at all times. The Latakia is very light, so I can see someone who is new to the hobby picking this up as their first English blend. It's nothing special by any means, but it's a good everyday English that won't knock you out with Latakia or nicotine.